Comments on: Healthy, Cheap, Tasty, and Quick: The Grocery Store Grand Slam and Eight Tips on How To Achieve It

By: joan

joan — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:16:28 +0000

Have you started making notes on that cookbook? Can we preorder it? Just a hint that I’m looking forward to the day you write a cookbook.

By: Teri Davis Newman

Teri Davis Newman — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:38:39 +0000

Here’s what we refer to as a “slap salad” which is a salad we slap ingredients into the lettuce. It starts with a head of iceberg washed and torn and bag of spinach and another of spring mix which we fondly refer to as “yard clippings”. Mix them all together and put them in a large container with a paper towel in the bottom which helps keep it fresh for a week. To serve: Grab a big handful of the greens and slap them into a bowl. Add some cherry/grape tomatoes, a few cucumber slices, dried cranberries, some bacon bits, some sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts or pecans, any leftover meat chopped up–we use whatever’s leftover–chicken, beef, tuna or cold cuts and any leftover veggies–corn, green beans, beets–whatever you have and slap those on top of the greens with everything else. Leftover lunch meat–turkey or ham can be slapped in the salad too. Any leftover beans–kidney, garbanzo–slap them in. Make a simple Italian dressing with 1 TBS basil 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper, a little sugar, olive oil and 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup basalmic vinegar and a dollop of dijon mustard. Whisk or shake it till well mixed (for a creamy dressing whisk in some mayo)and pour over greens, top with a few crushed potato chips or corn chips and you’ve got dinner from leftovers that seems like a new meal!

By: Extraordinary Wife

Extraordinary Wife — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:17:36 +0000

Also, look for frozen veggies. I have heard that those which are simply flash frozen (no butter, sauces or salt) are also excellent choices when fresh may not be optional and in some cases, even better than fresh (e.g. peas).

By: Wild Cherry

Wild Cherry — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:53:16 +0000

Remember when you buy staple foods that cheap is not always best. Try to get brown or black rice, and whole wheat pastas. (If you get the store brand pasta it’s not too pricey.) Sauces like barbecue sauce, ranch, and ketchup are not necessarily good condiments because they contain corn syrup, which can lead to loss of appetite control–meaning you will be eating more food than you should!! I totally agree with you guys about buying ethnic foods; the only thing you have to watch out for is MSG in the Asian prepackaged foods, and Mexican foods as well.

By: N'Awlins Kat

N'Awlins Kat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:42:25 +0000

@Justin: Yes, we occasionally go to the Little Saigon area of New Orleans–wonderful breads, spices, exotic fruits, etc., and great prices. In college, a group of us used to split 50 pound bags of rice and other huge staple purchase.

I miss living IN the city, where I had easy access to the Middle Eastern groceries. They sold bulk spices for a pittance; at one point, I think I had something like 50 or 60 different spices in my kitchen. Now, because of the influx of Hispanic workers here, there are Latino groceries springing up, and I’m hoping to score good deals on spices, etc, there, too. We particularly like Tex-Mex style cooking, and I mix my spices up in a quart canning jar and then measure out accordingly. I use the base spice mix, then toss in extras depending on what I’m cooking that day.

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:48:43 +0000

@N’Awlins Kat: Awesome tip. Indeed, ethnic foods can be very cheap and fresh. Asian supermarkets, in particular, are excellent for some awesome food.

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:45:23 +0000

Thanks for linking back to the essential spice list, which you first published before I was subscribed to this site.

My friend’s son is a recently-deployed chef. I’d decided yesterday to include in his care package a few packages of dried herb to, if you’ll pardon the pun, spice up the other Marines’ meals – especially if I wind up sending him something he can’t get wherever he is.

For the past fifteen years, I have only cooked and eaten vegetarian (and, as yvie said, I’ll pay a bit more to support our local farmers’ market which, here, supports the Women Infants Children program) and don’t know what to use with meat. Your post will help!

By: N'Awlins Kat

N'Awlins Kat — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:43:23 +0000

I’ve found that eating ethnic foods can be a lot cheaper….eat like the immigrants do. They eat far healthier foods than most Americans do; they haven’t been seduced by the supersize concept. In college, I learned to make a number of Middle Eastern, Indian and Greek foods from exchange student friends. My 9-year-old would eat out every day of the week if she could; we compromise by dining at “Casa Mamacita” one night and “Chez Maman” the next, or “Tandoori Ama.” Still trying to broaden my picky husband’s horizons a bit (he’d rather eat MREs, but frankly, I’ve had my fill of them). You’re right, though, Trent; it’s amazing what you can make out of a hunk of chicken if you add the right spices.

By: yvie

yvie — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:30:00 +0000

I have one more question that I ask during the summer and fall months: Is it local? I support my local farmers whenever I can, rather than some far off place with less than fresh fruits and veggies.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:25:04 +0000

Sounds like you’re on your way to “refrigerator pickles”

I’m convinced cheap eating is a lot easier with a crockpot and chest freezer.

>just slice a few cucumbers and an onion into a bowl with one parts water and four part vinegar (plenty to cover the onions and cucumbers)

By: Kenny

Kenny — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:01:47 +0000

Trent, I have two words that make everything better:

REFRIED BEANS

thank you.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:05:11 +0000

After finding “our salad”, I cannot go back to the bag-and-bottle of college days. We literally have it with every dinner.

1. Crush garlic in a small bowl
2. Mix desired parts olive oil and red wine vinegar (to taste)
3. Add dollop of spicy mustard
4. Sprinkle with Herbs De Provence and crushed black pepper

Stir, then pour on a salad made of romaine lettuce, fresh spinach leaves, red bell peppers (expensive, but far better than green), sliced cucumbers, and lots of feta cheese.

Inspired by a stay in France, we like to serve it on a plate with a thick slice of bread, which we use to sop up the remaining dressing so we can reuse the plate for the main course. Yum.

By: Modern Worker

Modern Worker — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:19:22 +0000

I printed this out and will certainly take it along with me on my next grocery quest.

By: Angie Hartford

Angie Hartford — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:13:02 +0000

Don’t forget that all-important fifth criteria:

Is it chocolate?

;)